Ennis House tile textile block as seen in Blade Runner

Inspired by the celebrated textile blocks of the Ennis House (1923) in Los Angeles, these pieces echo one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most distinctive architectural experiments. In the early 1920s, Wright was exploring the potential of concrete as an accessible material for residential building and developed a block-making system with richly patterned surfaces. These geometric textures gave his houses a striking visual identity inside and out.

The original Ennis House blocks were cast in aluminium moulds, each measuring 16 x 16 x 3.5 inches, and assembled with steel rods in a woven formation – a technique that gave rise to the term “textile block”. Their bold, almost cinematic relief has fascinated architects, designers and filmmakers for decades.

The Ennis House itself has become a screen legend. Its dramatic profile and atmospheric interiors have appeared in everything from Blade Runner and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Mulholland Drive, The Rocketeer, Predator 2, Rush Hour, and Beverly Hills Cop II. 

You can find these tiles / blocks for your own home at the Frank Lloyd Wright store (each plaque is handcrafted and made to order) or replicas on Etsy.